Construction began on 94.5 gigawatts of coal power plant capacity in 2024, more than in any year since 2015, according to a worldwide database of coal plants maintained by Global Energy Monitor.

A state-of-the-art coal-fired power plant that will soon go online in the seaside town of Taketoyo in Aichi Prefecture is expected to help alleviate Japan’s electricity supply shortage.

One of the oldest power plants in the United States, perched on the edge of the nation’s largest coal mine, was scheduled to close in 2027. But the plant’s operator recently canceled the ...